Lubricating device for railway vehicle axles



May 16, 1933. E MOO Y 1,908,913

LUBRIGATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLE AXLES Filed Feb. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 16, 1933; E. MOONEY LUBBICATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLE AXLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 16, 1933 v I unite-n STATESITPATEW QFFICE ERNEST MOONEY, OF YORK, ENG-LAND LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLE AXLES Application filed February 4,1931, Serial No. 513,432, and in Australia April 14, 1930.

This invention relates to lubricating dethe same will now be more fully described vices for railway vehicle axles and'of the "with reference to the accompanying drawkind in which an absorbent pad Connected ings; in which)- 1 to or formed integral with capillary feeders ""1 Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an dipping into the oil in the axle-box is supaxle-box and journal having a lubricating 55 ported in contact with the journal by means device constructed according to the inven of a spring frame. As at present constructtion. V I

' ed difliculty is often experienced in remov- Figure 2 is a sectional plan of Figure 1, ing such lubricating devices fromthe axlethe absorbent pad being broken away for boxes when the axle is in position owing-to the sake of clearness. p the restricted space left between the end of Figure 8' is a sectional end elevation of the axle and the axle-box and also'because Figure 7 V the device has to be forced outwardly to 'en- Figure a is a similar view to Figure 3; but able it to pass the enlarged end or fillet of shows the lubricating device in the depressed 15 the axle. Now the chief object of the 'presand flattened position. V f 65 ent invention is to construct the frame of an Referring to the drawings, 1 is the ab axle lubricating device of this kind so as sorbent pad connected to or formed integralto overcome this disadvantage. ly with capillary feeders2 dipping into the According to the invention the pad of the oil (not shown) in the axle-box 3 and sup- Q lubricatingdevice is mounted on a spring ported in contact with thejournal 4' by frame whose pad-supporting or cradle pormeans of a spring frame. The outer edges tion is adapted to be depressed and flattened of the pad 1 are secured to the upper ends out so as to increase its width and allow of the transverse spring leaves 5 whose lower 7 the device as a whole to be drawn past the ends are riveted or otherwise secured on a 5 fillet on the end of the axle. base or supporting frame madeup of longi- In an embodiment of the invention the tu'dinal.memberso and transverse members pad may be secured to the upper ends of 7. As shown there are two spring leaves 5 transverse spring leaves or arms whose lowat each end of the pad 1 and 'in'order toer ends are fixed on a base or'support-ing obtain the maximum resiliency these are frame. Said spring leaves or arms may be arranged so as to extend substantially from connected byalongitudinal member or me1nside to side of the device by securing the bers one of which may serve to give rigidity opposite ends of adjacent spring leaves; 5

to the edge of the pad, whilst the other may to the opposite side members 6T of the base be extended beyond the edge of the pad and frame. The free ends of the spring leaves the end of the axle so as to: afford -a finger 5' on each side of the device are connected plate whereby the device may be convenientby longitudinal members 8 '9 the upper mem- -ly flattened when in position in an axle box. her 8 on each side having secured thereto The extended ends of the longitudinal memthe edge of the pad 1, whilst thelowerlmembers may'also be provided with rigid arms her 9 on each side is extended beyond the hinged or pivoted to the base or supporting end of the pad 1 and is bent to avoid the endframe. Suficient slack is left in the middle or fillet P of the axle journalt so as to part of the pad to allow free movement of afford a finger plate'wherebythe device may the spring leaves or arms,: and in this conbe conveniently flattened" for withdrav'val. nection the pad may comprise two bearing The extended part of each member 9, is also surfaces joined together by a strip of flexible provided with a rigid arm 10 each of said material, whilst if desired a gapmay be left rigid arms being pivotally mounted on a in the middle so as to allow the axle to be bracket 11 on one ofthe transverse memlubricated by splash. bers 7 of the'supporting frame and eacharm In order that the invention may be clearly having a slot 12 through which thepivot'pin 50 understood and readily carriedinto effect, I 13' passes, the object'offthis being'toallow sliding movement of the arms 10 when the spring leaves are flattened.

In use, when it is desired to remove the device from the axle-box 8, the springleaves 5 are flattened by pressing on the finger plates afforded by the members 9, thus bringing the pad into the position shown in Figure 4, and allowing the device to be drawn out by means of hooked portions of the members 6 without fouling the fillet 4? of the axle journal 4:.

In order to allow free movement of the spring leaves 5 the pad 1 is made in two parts the arrangement being such as to leave a space 14 which allows the journal at to be lubricated by oil splashing from the bottom of the axle-box 3, and although two longitudinal connecting members 8, 9 are shown between each pair of spring leaves 5 the lower of these may be dispensed with and the upper one 8 be provided with an extension to afiord finger plates.

I claim 1. A supporting structure for a lubricating pad for a. railway axle, said structure comprising a lower rectangular frame and an upper pad carrying frame and a resilient" connection therebetween, said upper frame com risin an elon ated member the D i D 7 longitudinal axis of which is disposed substantiallyparallel to and at one side of a vertical axial plane of said axle, said lower rectangular frame comprising two elongated inembersdisposed on opposite sides of said vertical axial plane, said resilient connection b'etween said frames comprising a leaf ing pad' for-a V stantially rigid, rectangular lower frame;

spring fixed adjacent its ends respectively to said upper elongated member and one of said lower elongated members of said upper and lower frames, said leaf spring extending through said vertical axial plane and being adapted to urge said upper pad carrying frame into operative relation to said axle.

2. A supporting structure for a lubricatrailway car axle in a journal box, said structure comprising a suba plurality ofupper pad carrying bars disposed on opposite sides of a vertical axial plane'of said axle, and a resilient supporting connection frame,- said connection comprising crossed spring members extending from said bars Y to said frame at opposite sidesof said vering pad for a railway tical axial plane, and means operable to depress said bars against the action of said resilient connection, whereby said supporting structure may be distorted in shape to facilitate its removal from said journal box.

3. A supporting structure fora lubricatbox, said structure comprising a substantially rigid rectangular lower frame, a plujeinedby' strips l of flexible material,

between said bars and said permit removal of said structure from said car axle in a journal rigid the action of said spring members, whereby said supporting structure may be distorted in shape to facilitate its removal from said journal box. i

, 4. A supporting structure for a lubricating pad for a railway axle in a journal box,

said structure comprising a substantially rigid rectangular lower frame, upper pad carrying means, and a resilient connection therebetween, said lower frame comprising longitudinal side members and transverse end members fixedly connected together at the frame corners, said pad carrying means comprising a pair of bars, each disposed on oppositesides of a vertical axial plane of said axle, said resilient connection comprising oppositely extending crossed spring members disposed between each bar of said pair of bars and the longitudinal side 'mem her on the opposite side of said vertical 9 axial plane, and means operable to flex said spring members to permit removal of said supporting structure from said journal box.

5. A supporting structure for a lubricata ing pad for a railway axle in a journal box, 1 said structure comprising a rectangular lower frame, upper pad carrying means, and

deformable connecting means therebetween, said lower frame member comprising longitudinal side members, transverse en'dmem 1 bers, and an upstanding bracket on one of said end members, said pad carrying means comprising a longitudinally extending bar disposed'on each side of a'vertical plane ofsaidaxle and a forwardly projecting extension on each of said bars, said deformable connection comprising oppositely extending crossed spring members disposed betweensaid bars and said longitudinal side members on respectively opposite sides of said vertical axial plane of said axle, said deformable means-also comprising a laterally extending'arm rigidly secured to each Sfild extension on said'bars and fulcrumed at its OPPOSitQQIKl Unsaid pstanding brack et on said lower frame member, said extensions, arms, and brackets comprising means for flexing said spring members to journal box.

,6. A supporting structure for a lubricating pad for a railway axle in a journal box, said structure comprising a substantially rectangular lower frame, upper pad carrying means and deformable connecting means therebetween, said lower frame haw mg an upstanding bracket at one end thereof, said upper pad carrying means having forwardly projecting extensions disposed on opposite sides of a Vertical axial plane of said axle, said deformable connection comprising crossed spring members disposed between said rectangular lower frame and said pad carrying means and a laterally extending arm rigidly secured to each of said forwardly projecting extensions and fulcrumed upon said upstanding bracket, said extensions, arms, and bracket comprising means for flexing said spring members to permit removal of said structure from said journal box.

ERNEST MOONEY. 

